April 01, 2020
Separation sometimes best counter to violence
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There’s a call for emergency accommodation to allow men at risk of being violent to undertake the lockdown away from their families.
Sociologist and criminologist Dr Michael Roguski from Kaitiaki Research and Evaluation says countries around the world are reporting a 20 to 30 per cent increase in domestic violence in recent months associated with COVID-19 restrictions.
He says keeping whānau safe means being agile and providing options, and while men who have been through non-violence programmes should know they can leave the home and go for a walk if they feel their anger building, sometimes that’s not enough.
"If that man feels he is about to engage in violence, where can he actually go. This is a real challenge for the government to come to the party and provide funding for that type of supportive accommodation. That will go a long way because it’s just not safe for whānau, for our wahine and tamaiti, for that man to stay in the house at this time,” Dr Roguski says.
Dr Roguski says some very good anti-violence organisations are offering remote support through the lockdown, including Vic Tamaki’s Safe Man Safe Family and 0800 Hey Bro.
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